Stories from Tuesday, August 28, 2001

Benton - The idea was to come up with a way to bring the community together. The result is a celebration that has become a tradition for many families. Over the past three decades residents in Benton and the surrounding communities have cleared their calendars to make room for Benton Neighbor Day. It's a time to get reacquainted and have some family fun...

ORAN - Matt Bucher, a 17-year-old senior at Oran High School, was invited to participate for a U.S. National baseball team in Europe earlier this month. Bucher was contacted and was sent an invitation to come to a meeting in reference to the team. After filling out an application, Bucher was contacted and interviewed over the phone. He was then given a skills assessment in Spokane, Wash...

CHAFFEE - The Charleston Bluejays girls tennis team opened the season with a 9-0 win over Chaffee on Monday. Chaffee, which is competing with just five girls, had a couple of forfeits, but they were still able to compete in some of the matches. "(Chaffee head coach) Amanda Horrell has done a good job with those girls," said Charleston head coach Mitch Baker...

BENTON - Landis Ray Williams, 41, died Aug. 27, 2001, at his home. Born March 29, 1960, in Cairo, Ill., son of Maloy Landis and June Ann Martin Williams of Benton, he was an assembly line worker for Valley Trailer Products in Sikeston and attended Unity Baptist Church in Benton...

MORLEY - Carolyn Jo Hopper, 54, died at 5:45 p.m. Aug. 26, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born July 21, 1947, in Roswell, N.M., daughter of the late Melby H. and Anna Marie Smith Harless, she lived in the area most of her life and was of the Pentecostal belief...

PARMA - Carter Nelson Davis, 80, died Aug. 27, 2001, at his home. Born Feb. 26, 1921, in Doniphan, son of the late Ben and Jane Stovall Davis, he was a mechanic at the Loveless Garage and the Mahan Gin in Parma before retiring. He lived in Parma for more than 50 years and was a member of the Parma General Baptist Church...

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. - Frances Jeanette Tyler Britt Klima, 80, died Aug. 18, 2001, in Naples. Born July 28, 1921, daughter of the late Jasper and Edith Tyler, she lived in Bonita Springs for the past 40 years. In 1939, she married James "Pee Wee" Britt. She later married Frank Nilan who preceded her in death in 1974. In 1980, she and Charles "Chuck" Klima were married and he died in 1995...

Let's face it - sometimes the justice system is anything but just. Just take the case of James Homer Elledge. Back in 1965, Elledge robbed a convenience store, kidnapped the female clerk and doused her with gasoline. She escaped before he could light the match however...

SIKESTON - Miss Marjorie McCoy joined the personnel at the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Monday morning as a stenographer in the land division offices in the Milam building. SIKESTON - Sikeston swimming pool will close to the general public Sept. 7, Conley Purcell, chairman of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Commerce Pool Committee, announced Saturday. Arrangements have been made for the high school to use the pool for early fall gymnasium classes...

SIKESTON - Russell Alberts, 76, died Aug. 27, 2001, at his home. Born Dec. 16, 1924, in Newark, N.J., son of the late Joseph and Teresa Costanzo Alberts, he was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Canada, he earned a master of business administration from Santa Clara University in California. ...

BLOOMFIELD - Samuel Sterling Welker, 88, died Aug. 27, 2001, at his residence. Born Sept. 15, 1912, in Blodgett to the late George Oscar and Eliza Willis Welker, he moved in 1947 from Bell City to Bloomfield. A retired carpenter, he attended the General Baptist Church...

PUXICO - Thelma "Toots" Kuehn, 93, died Aug. 28, 2001, at the Puxico Nursing Center. Born Aug. 7, 1908, in Puxico, daughter of the late Walter Casey and Lula Mitchell Casey Fann, she was the first woman in Missouri to receive a pilot's license and promoted flying for women. She lived in Memphis, Tenn., most of her life before returning to Puxico three years ago...

DEXTER - Evelyn Elizabeth Triplett, 85, died Aug. 27, 2001, at her residence near Dexter. Born Jan. 3, 1916, at Essex to the late Albert and Lois Wilson Eaton, she was a member of the St. Joe General Baptist Church at Idalia. On Aug. 10, 1932, at Essex, she married Cecil M. Triplett, who survives of the home...

EAST PRAIRIE - Scott Fredrick Slaughter, 28, died at 1 a.m. Aug. 27, 2001, at his home. Born June 27, 1973, in Sikeston, son of Lee DeField Fraley and Sid Fraley of Sikeston and the late Richard Page Slaughter, he lived in Mississippi County most of his life...

CRESTVIEW, Fla. - Wayne Elwood Haynes, 67, formerly of Morley, Mo., died Aug. 19, 2001, at his home. Born Dec. 17, 1933, in New Madrid, Mo., he lived in Okaloosa County, Fla., since 1984. He served with the U.S. Air force in the Korean War and during the Vietnam era, retiring as a technical sergeant after 20 years of service. He had been a bus driver for the Scott County (Mo.) R-5 School District...

This is to the neighbor who is so worried about my trash can on the curb being an eyesore. Sorry it bothers you so. Unlike you who apparently has nothing better to do with your day than to worry about other people's yards and then trespass on them to leave notes on their doors, there are nicer ways to do things. ...

SIKESTON - Danny Ray Stacy, 40, died at 5:22 p.m. Aug. 26, 2001, at his home following an extended illness. Born June 7, 1961, at Sikeston, son of Jean and Gorman Hartlein of Sikeston and Reggie and Elaine Corlew of Dallas, Texas, he graduated from Sikeston High School in 1980...

STEELE - A man wanted on felony warrants in two counties was captured by law enforcement officers after a brief chase. Pemiscot County sheriff's deputies and officers with the Steele Police received information from authorities in Clay and Buchanan counties on Monday that Earl Lanier, 30, was a felon and might be in the Steele area. Steele Police officers located Lanier and when confronted, he ran from officers. Officers pursued Lanier on foot for two blocks before he was taken into custody...

SIKESTON - Journeys on foot around the globe have been done before, and in as little as four years. But Bud Kenny is in no hurry. He and his wife, Patricia, both 53 years old and having no children, have set aside the next 15 to 20 years. "We hope to publish some books," said Bud. The real reason, however, is just to "take some time to really see the world and meet the people in it."...

CARUTHERSVILLE - A woman is in custody after assaulting her husband with a screwdriver. Pemiscot County sheriff's deputies were called to a residence on Highway 412 in reference to a domestic assault. Upon investigation they learned the 20-year-old wife had assaulted her husband with the screw driver...